WASHINGTON -- Home mortgage rates stayed mostly flat this week, as fresh economic and housing data sent mixed signals to the market, Freddie Mac's chief economist said Thursday.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage didn't change at all from last week, according to Freddie Mac's weekly survey, remaining an average 6.52% on a nationwide basis. The mortgage averaged 6.62% a year ago.

The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage slipped just slightly, averaging 6.07% for the week ending Aug. 14, down from 6.10% last week and the year-earlier 6.30%.

Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 6.02%, down from 6.05% last week and the year-ago 6.35%. And one-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 5.18%, down from 5.22% last week and the year-earlier 5.67%.

"Mortgage rates held relatively steady for the second week in a row amid offsetting economic data releases," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist.

The housing market received mixed news as well, he said.

"Pending existing home sales unexpectedly rose in June, signaling a possible increase in home sales in July and August, according to the National Association of Realtors. Offsetting that information was the news that commercial banks tightened lending standards even more for prime, nontraditional and subprime mortgages in July according to the Federal Reserve, an action that may dampen further home sales activity going forward."

A separate survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association found that mortgage applications fell a seasonally adjusted 1.5% last week, compared with the week before, driven mainly by a drop off in refinance applications.

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